Some individuals who had achieved their personal goals through "The Group" dropped out or were absorbed into other activities. Our attendance had fallen to a very few and January found us discussing ways of reviving interest of former members and attracting new ones. We had much to accomplish if we were to meet the criteria of the original nineteen resolutions. How to change years of segregation of the various disabilities and bring a group of people together truly representative of the Metro disabled population became a problem for deliberation and solution by the small core group remaining from "The Group".

A letter was forwarded inviting the executive-directors of all agencies and the various levels of social services involved in services for all the disabled to speak of the services offered by their respective organizations or departments. A second letter prepared for the client-members of these various organizations advising them that they could come and hear the speakers and ask questions about the level of services they were receiving was also forwarded the organizations with a request that they assume responsibility for mailing the letters thereby respecting the confidential nature of such lists.

This meeting of February 21st, dubbed Awareness Night For and By Disabled by the Executive-Director of the Nova Scotia Institute for the Blind (Halifax) was an unquestionable success as a call for continuation of meetings received unanimous affirmation. "The Group" had now become a cross-disability consumer group. The able-bodies members continued their participation. Never again would they be called "The Group" as they now had increased in numbers large enough to begin an organization. DIAL (Disabled Individuals Alliance) was put forward by one off our members as a name for the new organization and was adopted. DIAL was born. The membership now represented such disabilities as - Para/quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, and stroke aftermath, the visually impaired or blind, hard of hearing or deaf, multiple sclerosis, etc.

Impairment differed but we all had a common bond - the same social and economic problems, transportation, employment, housing, human rights, education, financial problems, social acceptance and the realization of the minute input we had in altering our own destinies. DIAL's direction as an organization for the disabled became clear; we had to change the attitudes of all levels of government and the private sector, as well as the disabled community, to affect changes to improve our quality of life.

They began first with the provincial government: a letter was prepared introducing DIAL including two issues of Priority: Transportation NOW and Access to the Legislative Chamber, with space provided for personal remarks by our members. These were distributed to each member for completion who then mailed it to his MLA and any other persons who might be concerned with the two priorities. They had now introduced themselves to government. They prepared a "Proclamation of DIAL" in short and long form for publication and distribution to handicapped persons. Transportation became highlighted by the fact that a quadriplegic attending one of our meetings told them of a 'transit for the disabled proposal' he had submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs for consideration, which had not received significant response. DIAL adopted his proposal after considering its feasibility and began fervent meetings with the Minister, party caucuses and the Mayor of Halifax. Press releases and interviews were used to demonstrate the need for transit for the disabled.

On April 30th, the provincial government announced that the "Disabled May Receive Aid for Transport" with a subsequent announcement by the Department of Municipal Affairs regarding a Transit Survey at a cost of $50,000 - $100,000. DIAL publicly deemed the survey a "waste of taxpayers' money". The disabled "have been studied to death without significant results" were Dial's position. Many heated debates were to follow as well as many productive and constructive meetings with government officials. The disabled had begun to speak for themselves to the right people and discovered that people were willing to listen.

ACCESS-A-BUS (transit in Metro for the disabled) was to commence November 1st, 1980, operated by Metropolitan Transit Authority. The transportation issue consumed much of Dial's time and effort forcing us to put aside matters of importance in regard to properly structuring the organization itself. The small core group found themselves badly overworked and others having leadership skills were unable to be productive within the existing structure.

A Constitution Committee was struck during the April meeting responsible for preparing a constitution that would be acceptable to the membership, forwarding it to a lawyer for registration of Dial under the Nova Scotia Societies Act. This was completed by June. To ensure that Dial became an organization of disabled expression and input, the "elections" clause of the constitution stated that the Board and elected officers be comprised of 60% disabled and 40% non-disabled out of the membership. This facilitated disabled control over the affairs of their own organization while still recognizing the input of its non-disabled members.

In June, Dial accepted an invitation to send six delegates to the first national conference of COOPH (Coalition of Provincial Organization of the Handicapped) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Coalition acts as the umbrella organization of all the provincial cross-disability consumer groups and is funded in part by the department of the Secretary of State and by membership dues paid annually by each of the provincial member groups. This conference on "Affirmative Action re Human Rights and Employment" introduced us to consumer groups from all over Canada, some of which were well established, affording us the opportunity to learn just how well organized the disabled were becoming in Canada and the positive reception the concept was receiving from the federal government. Some 200 delegates attended this conference, most of who were handicapped and very active in their organization to the success of the conference. The skills of coalition; building, organization techniques and the contribution people with varying handicaps could make to the consumer movement were positive gains for such a new organization as DIAL.

DIAL was asked to join COPOH; however, as we represented only the Metro area we could not because according to the membership clause of COPOH's own constitution "a member organization has to be representing the whole province". Hence, we received "affiliate" membership. It was clear that upon our return we had to become involved on building a provincial organization. The remainder of 1978 was spent resolving internal matter of the organization of DIAL. We continued regular monthly meetings with guest speakers whenever possible and constant vigilance in realizing transit for the disabled.

On September 19th 1980, Nova Scotia underwent a provincial election and a change in government. It was indeed ironic that one of the newly elected MLA's is a wheelchair user! And Government House was not accessible. This had been Priority #2 in Dial's introduction of itself to government. The government had responded that insufficient funds would prevent the necessary renovations for at least two years and possibly longer as it is an old building. By the spring of 1980 all necessary renovations had been completed. Government House is now accessible to the handicapped.

In March of 1979, all Canadians learned there would be a federal election on May 22, 1979. COPOH requested each provincial consumer organization appoint a Provincial Mobilization Co-coordinators attended a preparatory seminar in Winnipeg, April 7th and 8th, at which we studied COPOH's prepared "Our Challenge" to be distributed to all federal candidates and the strategy to be used to carry this out. Dial's delegate was used as the Nova Scotia co-coordinator, attending the seminar and like others, advising COPOH, how this could best be handled in our province. Nova Scotia still did not have a provincial organization and it would be difficult to distribute the printed matter and very difficult in communicating with other disabled in relation to the challenge.

DIAL had by now, through its actives and media exposure, become a known quantity by the disabled of the Metro area. "Our Challenge" acted as a stimulus to the areas of the province, in which we were able to find people willing to participate e.g., Digby, Yarmouth, and Truro. In Sydney, an already established group C.I.D., (Community Involvement for the Disabled) agreed to join in the political challenge. We now had the first joint effort involving the disabled of Nova Scotia, even though we had no provincial consumer organization. People from the newer areas found strength in this joint effort and began to forward questions about how they might become organized.

The federal candidates were inundated with copies of "Our Challenge", a press release regarding their response appeared in local newspapers and questioned by the disabled at Meet Your Candidate Night had notice served that the disabled across Canada had become unified in their demands for equality. For many of them this was a first-time experience both frustrating and rewarding. They had to deal with the fact that a provincial organization must be formed for the benefit of the disabled throughout the province.

DIAL and C.I.D. of Sydney, Nova Scotia, were the two most active groups of the disabled in Nova Scotia and had been involved in several activities together. It was decided that these two groups should merge to form the nucleus of a provincial organization. This merge took place on May 25th, 1979, and the name chosen for this provincial body was the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunity to be known as L.E.O. This organization could now apply for full membership statues in Canada. In April, The Secretary of State Department announced that grants to help the handicapped form their own consumer group throughout the provinces would be forthcoming. By June, Dial would now be able to open an office and hire staff.

June 16th and 17th, they hosted the National Council Meeting, that being the governing body of COPOH, at St. Mary's University. It was at this time that L.E.O. was accepted into membership with two elected officers seated on the Council. During the period from October 1979 to March 1980, L.E.O. received into its membership three more organizations so that in face it now comprised of five separate consumer organizations of the disabled of Nova Scotia. These regions were - Cape Breton, Digby, Halifax, Truro and Yarmouth. It was agreed that each group retain is regional identity and appropriate actives thereby strengthening the provincial organization's ability to better reflect the opinions and needs of the disabled throughout the province.

DIAL continued to push for transportation, inclusion of the disabled on committees dealing in matters relevant to the disabled and expansion of Human Rights legislation affording the same rights for the disabled as enjoyed by other protected groups. Dialogue and letters to this effect were exchanged with various departments of both provincial and municipal governments.

The cross-disability growth within our membership proved once again the disabled had much to learn about each other's problems. We began a program of asking individuals to speak at our monthly meetings about their disability and the related problems whether solved or unsolved. This enabled us all to better understand each other and certainly provided a more personal touch to our meetings, which always seemed to have more business matters requiring attention each time we met.

On September 18th, DIAL held its first election of officers using the election clause of our constitution. Nominees from the membership accepting nomination resulted in the following officers being elected: Chairman; Co-chairman; Secretary; Treasurer and six Board Members.

This would afford our organization the chance to become more efficient with special duties assigned to each of our officers. The volunteer work done by other members; plus the DIAL staff, would contribute much to ease the overload of responsibilities on too few persons.

In October, Dial issued a press release in which we advised the public we would be seeking their support for total coverage for the handicapped in the Human Rights Legislation by signing a petition, which we intended to present to government. The member groups of LEO decided they too wished to participate and the petition was distributed throughout the province and presented to the government in mid-December, at Government House, by officers of LEO. November 23rd to 26th, four delegates of DIAL attended the 2nd National Conference of COPOH, in OTTAWA, ON "Transportation and the Disabled". This included all forms of travel; land, sea, air, rail and urban transportation and the problems confronting the disabled in these areas. LEO representatives remained in Ottawa to present our brief on "Ferry Travel and the Disabled" at the Canadian Transport Commission Hearings held immediately following the COPOH Conference.

This conference was dramatically successful not only because it adopted important resolutions but also due to the fact that MP's extended invitations to their disabled constituents to meet with them at their offices in the House of Commons. It was discovered that inaccessibility of the House made it impossible for some and very difficult for others to carry out such meetings. This sparked considerable debate in the House as recorded in the Commons Debates of November 29th, 1979.

December marked the 3rd anniversary of the joint efforts of the disabled of Metro to improve their quality of life and to celebrate this. We put all business aside and hosted a Christmas party for the membership of DIAL, invited guests and the patients in the Rehab Centre. Food, carol singing and a Christmas tree highlighted the evening. We had much to celebrate. We had grown from six in number to seventy and had three very busy and productive years to show for our efforts.

DIAL had already begun planning for the United Nations declaration of 1981 - International Year of Disabled Persons. Letters were forwarded the Councils of the cities of Halifax and Bedford~Sackville, to appoint one elected official as their representative on the "Metropolitan Committee for the 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons" having as its function planning special events and programs which would demonstrate the disabled persons contribution and involvement in community life. In February, DIAL assumed responsibility for establishing and assisting this committee, which would be representative of both the private and public sector of the Metro area.

Another federal election call for February 18th, found us lacking both the funds and mobility to present another "Challenge to the Candidates" on the scale as had been carried out in 1979; members were encouraged to engage in expressing the concerns of the disabled with the candidates whenever they were afforded such opportunities. It fell to COPOH to carry out the correspondence and dialogue with the party leaders and in turn kept the provincial organizations advised of their progress.

Dial's elections were held on April 22nd, with a marked increase in accepted nominations resulting in the election of many new officers, which indicated the membership, was willing to assume such responsibilities rather than comfortably retain "the old guard" who had assumed leadership for so long.

Awareness Day, April 23rd, the theme of which was "Bridging the Gap" having been proclaimed as such at Halifax City Hall on April 18th, by elected officials of the cities of Halifax, Dartmouth, the Municipality of the County of Halifax and Bedford-Sackville. This was a cross-disability recognition day with the more than twenty-five civic, law enforcement, academic, fire department and media participants simulating their Chosen Disability with technical aids provided by Dial and other organizations.

They asked the participants to function for as long as they possibly could while carrying out their daily routines and the majority managed to do so bringing their chosen disabilities with them to the evening reception hosted by Dial in recognition of their achievement. It was a joyful evening of music, dancing, and short speeches by some of the participating guests of the trials of their day - everything from inferiority complexes, blisters and skinned shins (as a result of chosen blindness). Some of Dial's disabled attempted chosen disabilities, as well, with equal results, as did some non-disabled members. This day did much to further the understanding of why the disabled require consumer groups and the proper place they have in the scheme of things.

A COPOH National Conference on May 1st, found two DIAL delegates headed for Vancouver, B.C., where, as a national organization it developed its viewpoint and positions in preparation for the Rehabilitation International 14th World Congress held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 22nd to 27th, at which these same delegates participated. This was the first time that a representative of the deaf membership of DIAL had participated in conference activities. COPOH conferences and National Council meetings are always attended by both bilingual (English-French) interpreters as well as interpreter services for the deaf.

Dial's commitments for that year include: Metro Housing Committee, the urban transit advisory committee, committees on ongoing finance and membership, the Metropolitan Committee on the International Year of Disabled Persons, the provincial International Year of Disabled Persons Committees of LEO, The provincial Technical Aids Committee of LEO (addressing the provision of technical aids to the handicapped under the health care system) as well as its involvement in the activities of COPOH.